


In the Glade

by Lovefushsia



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Blow Jobs, In the Glade, Kissing, M/M, Newt blatantly loves him already, Reworking, Thomas is impulsive, adding as much Newtmas as I can, after the bonfire on Thomas' first night, gally is still horrible to thomas, i should probably add some more tags, minho sees things, newt helps Thomas to chill out, of the movie, sorry I just changed the title
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-27 00:02:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14413326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovefushsia/pseuds/Lovefushsia
Summary: “How are you feeling? About this place, about all of us?” he asked.Thomas thought for a moment, looking around them briefly, not wanting to take his eyes from Newt’s face for long. “The Glade seems an ok place to be imprisoned. The maze? Sounds fucking terrifying. The other guys I could care less about. But you,” he said, pulling on Newt’s hand and motioning in the direction of the woods, “You I care about.”_____Author note: I have notes - I know where this is going and I promise to be back here soon!





	1. Thomas's First Night

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going with their ages being 20ish ;)

_ Thomas. My name is Thomas. _

Thomas stood in a daze while the others said their goodnights to each other, went off to find their beds, the hilarity and raucousness quickly dying down as they dispersed. He hated Gally with everything he had. All he’d done since this morning was hurt Thomas. And yet, ten minutes ago he was still ‘Greenie’, and almost getting used to the term. So he guessed he had Gally to thank that he knew his own name now, even though he was fairly sure it would have come to him anyway without being chucked around and face planting in the dirt. He rubbed absently at the side of his head where he’d hit the ground hardest, staring out at the maze as if some miraculous knowledge would come to him about that, too.

“Hey, Thomas, you gonna stand there all night?”

Thomas turned his head and Newt was there, soft smile on his face, skin glowing golden in the dimming firelight. He shook his head slowly, bewildered by his thoughts, by this boy so tall and confident, always quick to smirk but the only one who’d really given him any answers since he’d arrived.

Newt furrowed his forehead, head tilted as he watched Thomas who still hadn’t moved. “You ok? Want me to have a look at that?” he asked, motioning to Thomas’s head.

Thomas lowered his arm and turned fully towards Newt. “No, I’m ok,” he said, voice quiet and a bit hoarse from all the shouting about his name he’d been doing.

“Well, what about bed then? You remember where that is, or did Gally’s drink get to you that much?”

Thomas did feel light-headed, but whether from the drink, the Glade, the other boys, he had no idea. Probably all of it. Probably, mostly, right now, it was Newt. 

He squeezed his eyes closed, rubbing at them a little with one hand and suddenly his other hand was full of long fingers and he opened his eyes to find Newt right there. 

“Come on, Tommy, I’ll show you the way,” Newt said, and tugged his hand. 

Thomas was too stunned to do anything but follow as Newt led the way around the bonfire embers, towards the shacks and hammocks where the others were seemingly all settled. Thomas couldn’t see much movement. 

“So, you like your name?” Newt asked.

Thomas frowned at the side of Newt’s face. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

“I like it, suits you,” Newt said, turning until their faces were very close, and he winked. 

“Thanks. What’s your name all about?” Thomas blurted before he could think twice. Newt’s name had been on his mind since he’d been introduced. Newt himself had been on Thomas’s mind since he’d sat so close beside him by the log that they were basically touching and decided to talk to Thomas and offer him alcohol. He’d fight Gally again, regardless of how big the asshole was, just to see the look on Newt’s face as he’d shoved him down that one time. Newt had looked impressed. Thomas liked that look on him. 

Newt was smiling at him and he’d stopped walking, just outside the camp beside a path into the trees. “I have no idea, came to me the day after I arrived. I kind of like it,” he said with a shrug.

Thomas felt himself smiling, just one side of his mouth rising slowly. He looked at Newt’s lips, back to his dark brown eyes, and found that his unerring sense of curiosity had morphed into just revealing whatever thoughts were in his head, as he said, “I like it too, I like you.”

Newt smiled wide at that and his hand held tighter to Thomas’s. 

“How are you feeling? About this place, about all of us?” he asked. 

Thomas thought for a moment, looking around them briefly, not wanting to take his eyes from Newt’s face for long. “The Glade seems an ok place to be imprisoned. The maze? Sounds fucking terrifying. The other guys I could care less about. But you,” he said, pulling on Newt’s hand and motioning in the direction of the woods, “You I care about.”

Newt chuckled then and took a step closer so that their chests brushed together. “I’m not tired yet. How about you?”

Thomas shook his head. He was so far from tired, adrenaline and alcohol flooding him as they stood there. “You know of anything else we can do?” he murmured.

Newt didn’t answer, just pulled Thomas with him as he set off down the path, into the woods. They walked for some time until they reached a slight clearing and then a wall of the maze stretched out to either side of them in all its huge and terrifying glory. 

Newt turned to Thomas and began pacing slowly backwards. “No one ever comes down here. I used to bring a blanket out here those first few nights, just felt safer, the wall at my back,” he said, as he took Thomas’s other hand and pulled him along until his back was pressed against the rough stone and Thomas was pulled flush against him.

Thomas crowded him, hands falling to Newt’s hips when Newt let go and wrapped his arms around Thomas’s neck. “It’s like I’ve been waiting for you,” Newt whispered. “I don’t understand it.”

“Yeah?” Thomas said, finally seeing a little nervous hesitation in Newt’s eyes. “Is this ok though?” he asked, not wanting to screw anything up here, or have Newt do anything he didn’t want to.

Newt just nodded. “Yeah Tommy, I’ve been wanting this all night. Wanted to kiss you by the fire, so much.”

Thomas didn’t wait. He leaned in, tilting his head just slightly until their lips were aligned and he pressed in, kissing Newt, just letting their lips push together, feeling each other out. His heart was pounding already and Newt’s hands, on his back, one on his neck, were digging in, urging him into more. Thomas moved his lips, rubbing them back and forth over Newt’s until Newt’s lips parted and Thomas licked over them, sucking gently on his lower lip, not knowing what he was doing but loving the taste, the gentle huff of air that Newt let out against his mouth. 

He pressed in again, letting his tongue trail over Newt’s lips and pushing between them until he felt the firm press of Newt’s tongue against his. Thomas’s hands moved up to cup Newt’s face, stroked down his neck as they kissed. Newt groaned into his mouth, moved his head back and nearly cracked it on the wall behind him, gasped out a breath and then looked at Thomas again, wide-eyed and lips glinting wetly in the dim light from the camp through the trees. He was smiling again and Thomas grinned too before urging him back into another kiss. It was more involved this time, both of them shifting positions, trying to get more of each other - and Newt could have it all, Thomas would give himself to Newt right now, he didn’t care about anything but the warmth that had spread through his whole body, the lightness he was feeling, the happiness at finding his name after the day he’d had. Most of all the way Newt’s presence had made the whole of his first day here bearable - his cheeky confidence, wanting Thomas back. Newt could have it all.   
He pressed himself into Newt’s body, realising he had nowhere to go, but Newt pressed back, chest to chest, hip to hip and there was a definite hardness in Newt’s pants that Thomas wanted to get to know. 

He pulled back, panting for air, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth, running his hand into Newt’s hair, looking longingly at Newt’s lips, back to his eyes. “Fuck,” he let out and Newt just smiled at him, resting his head back against the wall and waiting for Thomas’s next move. Thomas went with his instincts and dropped to his knees in the dirt, hands going to Newt’s hips, tugging at his belt with a look upwards to meet Newt’s eyes. 

Newt was breathing heavily, watching him with almost disbelief now as Thomas nodded questioningly. Newt blinked at him and then nodded twice, reaching out a hand and running it through Thomas’s hair. Thomas leaned into the feeling for just a moment before getting to work on Newt’s pants, opening them enough to reach inside his underwear and tug out his hard cock. He didn’t stop to think about whether he could remember ever doing this before, whether he knew how - he was making it up as he went and he sucked the smooth head into his mouth in a second, Newt’s hands tightening in his hair and his hips jutting forward, thrusting a good few inches towards Thomas’s throat. 

Thomas groaned happily and Newt bucked his hips again and whispered an apology. Thomas pulled off enough to say, “It’s good, it’s all good,” and got back to it, lips parting as he slid Newt’s cock back into his mouth, licking around the head this time and tonguing the underside as if he was trying to melt an ice pop. The strangest thing to remember suddenly. He huffed out a badly timed chuckle and felt Newt’s hands scrape through his hair again, sending a shiver all down Thomas’s back. He gripped Newt’s hips tighter and sucked harder on his cock, easing back, licking again and sucking back down and then there was hair pulling, Newt’s heated whispers of, “Tommy, fuck, fuck I’m gonna blow…”

And Thomas took no notice and sucked again, swallowing around his cock and feeling his own dick jerk in his pants as Newt came down his throat.

“Oh fuck, fuck, what the- Tommy... Fuck,” Newt said in a beautiful rush, as he sank down in front of Thomas and put his arms around his neck again, bringing Thomas close as they both knelt there in the dirt. 

Thomas wiped at his mouth with his sleeve before urging Newt to move a little so he could see his face. “Hey, hey, are you… was that all right?”

Newt had the sweetest lopsided smile on his lips now, eyes half closed, feeling limp and heavy in Thomas’s arms as they gazed at each other. “I can’t describe how right that was,” Newt said. “How did you do that?”

“I have no idea,” Thomas admitted. 

Newt’s hand found its way to Thomas’s hip and around to his still very noticeable erection. He began rubbing and they kissed before Thomas could try to tell him that he didn’t have to reciprocate. He guessed Newt knew that, he wouldn’t do something he didn’t want to do. Thomas had to wonder if he’d done this with anyone else, besides maybe himself, as he came with a muffled cry into Newt’s hand a few moments later. 

Newt pulled him close and they lay down, pressed into the wall, nothing to cover them but Thomas felt secure in Newt’s arms, solid strength wrapped around him. Newt was surprisingly strong in fact, and Thomas couldn't wait to see what was under that shirt, but that would be once he woke up. He squeezed Newt’s hand as he let himself drift off, wondering what the hell tomorrow would bring.


	2. Coming Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Hi! I don't really know what this is yet to be honest, but as I'm rewatching the first film I'm just adding my own Newtmas bits and Thomas's feelings. I've used some dialogue straight from the film and I've ignored the bit where the Box comes up again, because Thomas and Newt don't need any distractions from getting to know each other ;)

Thomas woke with a start, for a terrifying moment having no clue where he was or whose hand was covering his mouth. Then his eyes met Alby’s above him and his heart began to calm as Alby gestured for Thomas to get up and backed away a couple of steps. Thomas moved, feeling his muscles ache and pull from the unusual positioning of his body sleeping in a hammock. He half fell out of the swinging bed and got his feet into his boots, looking up hesitantly at Alby as he stood watching, waiting. Did he know about him and Newt? Had he seen them? Was he pissed? He seemed pissed but then Thomas didn’t know him yet, maybe this was his usual morning look.

“Come on,” Alby said, and set off, away from the camp, towards the open grassland of the Glade beyond and towards the wall of the maze. Hesitant didn’t really cut it, but Thomas felt no choice but to follow. After Alby’s explanation, Thomas relaxed a bit and spent a long while chiseling his name into the stone, beside Newt’s name. And it felt good, actually felt like it meant something to have his name up there alongside the others. 

***

“ _ Just get the fertiliser, Thomas _ ,” he muttered as he walked now. “Are you sure, guys? I can't help in any other way?  _ No, just get the fertiliser _ .” He grumbled to himself as he trekked into the woods, and of course it’d be out here in the middle of nowhere, no one else around. Not that he minded a bit of time by himself, but he’d rather be out there with Newt, and Thomas was pissed at him. 

They’d not had a chance to be alone, not since they parted just outside the camp super early this morning after Newt had woken him, and Thomas had found his way to the hammock beside Chuck’s. His sleep had been fitful and filled with sketchy dreams and faces which he didn’t recognise. And then he’d been out of the camp with Alby and by the time he’d got back, had some food and got to work beside Newt and the others with the vegetables, all he could think about was Newt’s body against his, about when they might be able to do that again. To make the time pass he’d started up on his questions again, clearly irritating Newt until there was no chance of him answering anything. In the end, Thomas wasn’t surprised at all to have a bucket thrown at him and now here he was, in the woods. Hunting for crap.

He straightened up after shovelling something into the bucket, and when he turned around the whole thing fell from his hands as he jerked backwards. Newt stood there smirking at him, hands on his hips. 

“What the hell?” Thomas said, giving the bucket a kick. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Ah, shit, I’m just gonna be forever jumpy I think.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Newt told him, and he had his head on one side, eyeing Thomas as they stood there surrounded by the trees. “Did you sleep ok?” he asked, softer.

“Not really,” Thomas said because what was the point in lying? He hadn’t slept for more than five minutes probably and he was grumpy and he knew it had been obvious all morning. 

“You will,” Newt told him, and Thomas shook his head and sighed loudly.

“What are you, Mister Positive? Where was that earlier, huh? Maybe I’d sleep better if you’d answer any of my damn questions without giving the same response each time.”

“What d’you want to ask, Tommy?”

There was that name again. Newt had known Thomas’s real name for a less than an hour before he gave him his own name, and Thomas couldn’t help but melt a little whenever he heard it. 

He took a step closer and Newt’s smile grew as if he was thinking the same as Thomas. And maybe, after last night, he had been thinking about Thomas a little bit? Maybe he didn’t have nightmares and questions which kept him awake and his resting mind could dwell a little more than Thomas had been able to, on what they had shared together last night. “Do you do that with all the greenies?” he asked finally, not really wanting to hear the answer and feeling kind of crappy for asking.

Newt frowned but his smile stayed in place and Thomas really wanted to kiss him. “Like last night?” he asked.

Thomas nodded once, looking Newt over, hoping desperately that the answer was no, that Newt had somehow been saving himself and that Thomas’s arrival had been the thing to set him off.

Newt shook his head. “Of course not. That was definitely new. Us, last night? That’s the first time I’ve kissed anyone in the Glade. And the rest,” he sucked his lips together, and Thomas watched, enthralled and slowly taking another step towards him. “That was something I’ve not even dreamed about.”

“Oh,” Thomas murmured, breaths becoming a little uneven as he took another step and got into Newt’s space. Newt pressed against him, hands going to his hips and holding him there. 

“Sorry for making you shovel shit,” Newt said, still smirking. 

Thomas narrowed his eyes and grunted. “‘S ok,” he said, “I reckon this more than makes up for it.” He leaned in and Newt met him easily, pressing their lips together and sighing into it as if he had been waiting all day to get his hands on Thomas. It made Thomas’s chest tighten to feel the eagerness, the warmth of Newt’s body pressed to his as they kissed. 

The crack of twigs underfoot startled them both into parting, and as Thomas looked towards the sound, Chuck came into view. 

“Hey, Thomas, Newt, you have to come,” he called, as Thomas stepped back and let his hands drop to his sides. 

“What is it, Chuck?” Newt called back, and if the kid had seen anything he didn’t mention it.

“It’s Ben, he’s gone crazy - they’ve taken him to the pit. Alby wants a meeting.”

***

Afterwards, after watching Newt and the others force Ben into the maze, Thomas lay back in his hammock staring at nothing. What the hell kind of place was this where they could do that to one of their own? It didn’t even matter that Alby had explained the reasons, that Ben was sick, he’d attacked someone, and he wasn’t coming back from that. To watch Alby and Newt do that... it was a lot to take in. Newt hadn’t looked at Thomas as he’d gone by him afterwards, his closed eyes and trembling hands as he’d placed his spear up against the wall had made Thomas both relieved and uneasy - there hadn’t been any glee in what Newt had had to take part in, it was the way of the Glade. But he had done it all the same. Thomas didn’t know if he could ever do that. Banish someone. He shivered thinking about it, thinking about Ben, about what would happen to him. And then his thoughts went back to Newt and he wished he was here, so that Thomas could talk to him at least, find out how he was feeling after everything. But he had gone off with Alby, not a word to Thomas. 

***

Waking in the morning was much like the day before, startled from his dreaming visions, only this time he looked up to see in the distance Newt, Minho and Alby at the maze entrance, Newt hanging back as the others ran inside. Thomas cornered him as soon as he got back to the camp, having more questions than ever now. Newt was quiet, calm, offering nothing about last night, only telling Thomas that things were different now and Alby had to go in there. Newt got to work, Thomas trailing after him and watching as he hacked away at a tree stump, wishing he didn’t have on the overshirt today, because Thomas couldn’t see the muscles on his lean frame working through the loose fabric. And right now he needed the distraction. It was enough to see him though, just going about his routine, working hard. 

“Are you gonna help?” Newt asked in exasperation. 

Thomas stood finally and took his knife to the wood, barely missing his hand with the first hit, but Newt looked at him, pleased. “Yeah, there you go Greenie,” and Thomas felt better. He missed his nickname though.

***

Later, sheltering from the sudden rainstorm, the light seeping out of the sky and edging towards dusk, Newt was positive and calm as ever as he told Thomas that Alby and Minho would make it back. And yet, when they all crowded around the still open door of the maze, they all stood watch with no sign of the others. 

“Come on guys, can’t we send somebody after them?” Thomas said, jittery and frustrated and at Gally’s response he wanted to tell him to fuck his rules. Clearly they all cared, to be standing around here like it was a vigil for their lost friends - why couldn’t they risk going in for them when there was still a chance? But then Newt’s stoic, “We can’t risk losing anyone else,” as he looked towards Thomas, towards Chuck beside him - it sent a brief sense of calm and clarity through Thomas, but only for a moment. Because the grinding slide of the doors began then, and still there was no Alby, no Minho. Thomas wanted to scream he felt so helpless. 

And then there they were, rounding the final corner but the doors were coming too quickly and the Gladers were shouting for them to hurry and Thomas could see something was wrong, there was no urgency about Minho’s movements as he all but dragged Alby along with him - because Alby wasn’t moving. They all watched as Minho faltered, Alby tumbling to the ground. 

“They’re not gonna make it,” Newt said beside him, and it was the first time Thomas had heard any negativity from him. Newt had edged forward a step, leaning on his front foot, as if he was considering making a run for it, but Thomas somehow knew that he wouldn’t. Rules, physical ability, self-preservation, whatever it was - Newt wasn’t going anywhere. But Thomas was. Focusing only on the boys in the maze, throwing off the touch of a hand on his arm, Chuck calling his name, Newt’s desperate voice behind him, he ran - terrifyingly close to the stone as both sides drew in on him, hurling himself through at the last second with a scream. 

***

Chuck was the first Glader Thomas saw when the doors finally tore their way open the next morning. Behind him was Newt and within a moment he and Minho were surrounded, the boys taking Alby from between them, while they dropped to the ground in exhaustion. 

Thomas no longer needed to feel disturbed by his visions of the previous two nights. He had enough material for a lifetime of nightmares after a night in the maze. As he let the others take care of Alby, as Minho proclaimed him insane and that he should become a runner, as Gally pushed for his punishment, Thomas just felt drained of everything. He’d lived through something that he obviously had not been meant to survive and he needed to be on his own. 

He left the others, went through the woods to the wall, and found the place where two walls met, something solid surrounding him on two sides felt comforting, despite those walls containing what Thomas now knew were horrors even beyond his imagination.

 

He awoke shivering, despite the realisation that there was a blanket covering him, and then as he tried to sit up he found the weight of an arm across his chest. He pushed up on one elbow, blinking in the dawn light and there was Newt, wrapped around him, just now opening his eyes and groaning.

“Newt?” Thomas croaked, his throat dry and his body aching from his marathon in the maze. 

Newt let his hand brush across Thomas’s chest as he sat up and let Thomas move. 

“Morning,” he said, running a hand through his tousled blond hair, the imprint of Thomas’s shirt clear across his cheek. 

“You didn’t have to come out here with me,” Thomas said, not quite able to believe that Newt would have even bothered to come looking, let alone stay with him.

Newt frowned at him. “Gally wanted you in the pit - I said I’d watch you instead.”

“Oh,” Thomas said, saddened at the truth and too tired to even keep his emotions in check. Newt had no ties to Thomas after just three days, Thomas couldn’t expect it.

“But that was just a good excuse,” Newt went on, and now Thomas was frowning. “I would have come to find you anyway. You didn’t think I’d let you disappear after the stunt you pulled in the maze?”

“Oh,” Thomas said again, his mind whirling.

“I thought you were gone,” Newt said. “No-one’s ever come back from that. I spent all night blaming myself for not explaining more to you, for wishing I had a stronger grip and could have grabbed you back before you made a bloody suicide mission between those doors.”

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Thomas said. 

Newt shook his head vehemently. “No, don’t apologise, Tommy, I didn’t mean that. I just wanted you to know - I thought I’d lost you and I don’t know how I would have dealt with that. And I know it’s only been a few days, but I feel something.” He tapped his chest. “Right here. I know that we’ve met before, I don’t know how but I feel it.”

Thomas was taken aback. “You think we’ve met already? Before the Glade?”

“Yeah. I have no idea how. But we have. And I don’t want to lose you again, ok?” he added softly, and Thomas was nodding frantically, reaching out to cup Newt’s cheek and bringing their foreheads together. 

“Ok,” he said, pulling Newt into a hug with his free hand. “Ok.”


	3. Figuring Stuff Out

They stayed wrapped around each other until it got fully light and their stomachs started grumbling loudly. Then Newt pushed Thomas off him and stood up, pulling him to his feet and they made their way back to the Homestead.

Thomas kind of wanted to take Newt’s hand but he didn’t. He wasn’t certain whether Newt wanted the others to see them together. When he considered it, he’d not noticed any other boys getting closer than a brief hug or a handshake. He wondered what went on in other dark corners of the Glade. Surely some of these guys were interested in each other?

Gally cornered them within moments of them getting their breakfast, starting up with the ‘punish Thomas’ routine again. Thomas just sighed and kept his eyes down. The guy really seemed to hate him. 

He followed Newt to where they were keeping Alby, keeping him tied down, his writhing body disturbing to Thomas but apparently not a sight that the others hadn’t seen before. 

“We have to do something,” Thomas said, as he stood beside Minho and Newt.

They began discussing again the griever Minho and Thomas had trapped and killed in the maze, but with no decisions being made, Thomas made one for himself. “Ok,” he said nodding to himself and turning to go.

“Well, where are you going?” Newt asked.

“Back into the maze.”

Minho was the one to run after him. For a moment the sound of his name didn’t register but Minho caught up to him and put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Hey, what is this with you, huh? A death wish?”

Thomas shook his head. He didn’t know what was drawing him to the maze, besides it being their only hope of a way out of here. But then, here wasn’t actually so bad, apart from the two random griever stingings since Thomas had arrived. But with Newt here, Chuck looking out for him and Minho being not so bad once he’d decided to help in the maze with Alby, Thomas really didn’t know why he was so desperate to get out of here at all. But his curiosity was driving him. That and the need for some kind of revenge for being chased through the night by those disgusting creatures. 

“I wanna go back out there, we need to find out what we’re dealing with.” 

Minho reluctantly agreed and Thomas felt a little hope as they briefly agreed a plan.  

“You’re meeting him in the woods?” Newt’s voice was close behind him as Thomas stood there outside the Council. 

He turned around, head full of the maze and Alby’s pained writhing. Newt’s face was a welcome sight and he felt his own features relax as he took in Newt’s frown, the way his eyes drifted to Thomas’s lips and back up again. 

“Yeah, yeah.. Uh…” Damn where were his words? His palms were suddenly sweaty and not just from the humidity of the air around them. “He’s coming with me, I think.”

“Into the wood?” Newt said again, and his voice was soft but Thomas could hear the undertone of hurt or jealousy and he could see it on Newt’s face. 

“Maybe for supplies? I don’t know - what’s out there?”

Newt narrowed his eyes. “You want me to come with you?”

“To the maze? Do you want to?” Thomas asked.

“I want to be with you, Tommy. But as for running through the maze, well-” He tapped his leg and Thomas followed his gaze, not exactly knowing what he was getting at. “I’m not the best at it. Don’t wanna slow you down. Anyway, I meant, do you want me to come with you to meet Minho - you seem a bit freaked out.”

Thomas brushed himself off a bit for want of anything else to do with his hands. “I’m ok, just… now that I know what’s out there, you know?” he said vaguely, looking up at Newt, meeting his soulful, brown eyes. 

“So, what makes you want to go back?”

“I don’t think we’re meant to be here,” Thomas said. He reached out and gripped Newt’s bicep. “Don’t you want to get out?”

Thomas followed Newt’s gaze towards the grey sky, clouds blanketing the oppressive grey stone of the maze walls. He looked back hopefully to Newt, who nodded.

“I do.”

Thomas gave his arm a squeeze and let his hand fall away but Newt grabbed it before he could move away. He pulled until they were just an inch apart and kissed Thomas on the cheek. “Be careful out there,” he whispered. “And don’t be too long. Maybe I’ll show you where my bunk is tonight.” 

Thomas felt his cheeks heat as he looked at Newt and Newt stepped back, grinning.

“Yeah, ok, yeah…” Thomas murmured, nodding and wishing that he hadn’t decided to race off into the middle of the maze again when he had Newt right here. 

***

It wasn’t a wasted run, not by any means. The others Minho had brought along had proved to be good guys and Thomas was grateful that he seemed to be surrounded by like-minded boys, and that they weren’t all like Gally. Back at the Council, Thomas watched Newt handle the… whatever it was they’d found in the griever’s body. He looked so young standing there, everyone looking to him now that Alby was out of commission, but he was calm, confident, listening to everyone’s thoughts, not rising to Gally’s barrage of negativity about Thomas. But Newt had to come up with something, Thomas knew that - he  _ had _ broken the rules going into the maze. 

Newt met Thomas’s eyes and Thomas’s heart began to quicken, making his breaths sharper as he waited. “One night in the pit, no food.” Thomas’s heart sank a little at that, but he knew Newt had to keep any personal feelings separate from the rules of the Glade. But then Newt added, “Starting from tomorrow, you’re a runner.” And Thomas wanted to go over there and hug him, but he stood where he was as Gally stormed out.

“Thanks, Newt,” Thomas said quietly, and Newt just watched him carefully for a moment, the others beginning to file out until it was just the two of them. Newt turned his back and paced a little and Thomas followed. 

“Hey, you didn’t have to do that, and I appreciate it,” he said, reaching a hand out to touch Newt’s shoulder. 

“You might not be thanking me after spending a night in the pit,” Newt said, without turning around.

“Won’t be so bad, as long as you’re waiting out here for me.”

Newt looked at him. “Of course I’ll be waiting,” he said over his shoulder, frowning harder than ever. 

Thomas smiled a little. “Yeah?”

Newt turned fully to him, pressed his back to the wall and Thomas was close, he could smell the dirt from the gardens on Newt’s skin, the underlying sweat that was always there in this place. He wanted to breathe him in, wrap himself up in Newt and forget about everything else, just… rest for a bit. 

“Thomas, I made you a runner because I think you can get us out of here,” Newt said quietly. 

Thomas closed his eyes, shook his head a little. “No, not right now, Newt, can we just… can we-”

He felt Newt’s arms surrounding him then, pulling him close, lips against his neck as he rested his forehead against Newt’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Tommy, it’s ok,” Newt told him, pressing their bodies together, holding him close as Thomas just breathed for a moment.

His hands went up of their own accord, fingers latching on around Newt’s slender waist, shivering as he felt Newt’s gentle hand on the back of his neck. “Are  _ you _ ok?” he finally whispered, raising his head a little, trying not to dislodge Newt’s caressing hand, but wanting to see his face.

“Yeah, ‘course. I’m not the one facing up to the maze, now am I?”

“It’s ok, I want to do this. I want to get you out of here Newt, I do.”

They each took in shaky breaths and held tighter to each other. 

They were sitting against the wall, knees touching, just talking, trying to figure each other out, which was harder for Thomas when he had nearly three years less memories than Newt. It didn’t bother him though, he wanted to know all there was to know about Newt, and for whatever reason, Newt wanted to bring Thomas out of himself and he was doing a damn fine job of it. Thomas wasn’t going anywhere without Newt.

Until Gally came back. “Sundown, Greenie, time to go.” And why would he still not use Thomas’s name? He grumbled to himself as he stood up, Newt giving him an apologetic half-smile as he looked up at him.

As they walked to the pit Thomas asked why Gally hated him so much, which was pretty pointless, but at least with Gally’s answer he understood a little more. “Everything’s changed since you arrived.”

There must be a certain level of fear for these guys, everything working like clockwork for so long and then Thomas arrives and it all starts to change. He could see how that would be fairly unnerving. Luckily for Thomas, he had little else to go on and all he wanted was to work out why the hell they were being kept here, and how the hell to get them all out.

In the cold dark of the pit however, he discovered that he was still easily distracted from his plans. After talking to Chuck, accepting food from him with hungry eyes and a groan of pleasure as he tucked in, and then leaving Chuck with some hope as he promised to get them out of there, he was left alone again.

Gally had left a torch just up top by the locked door and Thomas looked up, heart suddenly pumping almost painfully as the flame flickered and he slid back into the corner, even though there was nowhere to go.

“Thomas?” a whispered voice hissed. Without waiting for a reply the lock was removed and the door pulled upwards and a figure dropped down in front of Thomas. 

“Newt? What the hell? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Who d’you think it was?” Newt asked, already grinning and Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, calming his breathing and frantic heart. “How are you doing?” Newt asked and he shuffled over to sit closer to Thomas, hands on his knees where Thomas had them tucked up in front of himself.

Thomas huffed out a breath. “Fine. I guess,” he muttered. Then he let himself relax a little. “Better, now that you’re here.”

“Good. I had to wait ‘til everyone was asleep. Sorry it took so long.”

“‘S ok,” Thomas murmured, dropping his knees down and taking hold of Newt’s hand. “Thanks for coming,” he said. 

“I missed you,” Newt said simply, and Thomas smiled. 

“Have you ever been down here before? When you didn’t want to be I mean,” Thomas asked, trying to distract himself from the fact that they were so close and that he really wanted to kiss Newt, but Newt might have only come down here to say hi.

Newt shook his head and he was still grinning. “Want me to distract you from the cold?”

“Fuck yes,” Thomas said immediately, and Newt was kissing him, dragging him away from the wall and pulling him down so they were lying beside each other on the rough ground. 

He tasted of Gally’s alcohol and Thomas didn’t even care, the flavour was so good in Newt’s mouth, sweet and perfect as they kissed. Thomas rolled so he was straddling Newt’s legs, leaning his upper body on his elbows while he delved into Newt’s mouth with his tongue, chasing the flavour some more. 

Newt’s breathing was ragged under him and Thomas came up for air, gasping as he looked down into Newt’s face, shining golden in the flickering light from above. 

“Tommy,” he breathed, and Thomas kissed him again, rolling his hips in a stilted rhythm against Newt’s groin, loving the growing hardness between them, and the drag of Newt’s fingers down his back as he pulled Thomas even closer. 

“Fuck, Newt… I really need you,” Thomas groaned, as he pressed harder, felt their bodies warming with the friction, Newt was panting out breaths as he kissed at Thomas’s cheek and neck and he grabbed at his ass, rocking his hips to meet Thomas’s movements. 

“You’ve got me,” Newt gasped out, dragging one hand under Thomas’s shirt, nails scratching over his heated skin, making Thomas writhe. 

Thomas shoved his hand between their bodies, fumbling with his pants with one hand, and by the time he’d got them open, Newt had managed the same and Thomas met his eyes, taking both their cocks together in his hand and squeezing as Newt kissed him again, hard, smushing their mouths together, lacking any coordination in much the same way that Thomas’s rough handling of their dicks couldn't exactly be called rhythmic. But all together, Thomas couldn’t get enough of it - Newt’s body, hard and hot underneath him, Thomas, sweat beading on his forehead, pulling and grinding them both on - he tensed up as he felt himself begin to lose it, desperate to make Newt come at the same time, crying out against Newt’s mouth and Newt grabbed at his ass again, added his other hand around Thomas’s and kissed Thomas hard as they both tried to get each other off seemingly as fast as possible. 

Thomas lasted only a moment more when he felt Newt’s fingers slipping between his ass cheeks and he broke the kiss so he didn’t accidentally bite Newt’s lip as he fucked himself into their joined hands and came all over their stomachs. It seemed to tip Newt over the edge, seeing Thomas losing it, and as Thomas slipped out of their grasp they both worked Newt over until he was spilling over Thomas’s knuckles, Thomas just about holding it together enough to kiss Newt languidly as he was coming down from his orgasm. 

Newt held him tight, sliding his hands up and around Thomas’s back, not at all caring about the stickiness between their bodies as they lay there. Thomas eased himself off so he could lie beside Newt and his hand came up to his face, brushing his thumb lightly over Newt’s cheek, loving just how content he seemed to be there, with Thomas. 

He felt his eyes grow heavy as they just stared at each other for longer than Thomas could process, smiling, kissing gently whenever one of them could move the few centimetres to reach. 

“Are you staying?” Thomas whispered eventually.

Newt kissed him again. “I can’t really move,” he said.

Thomas held him more firmly around his waist but he said, “You can, if you want to.”

“Not going anywhere,” Newt murmured.

Thomas felt his shoulders relax, some tension leave his back and arms. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the press of Newt’s lips to his one more time as he drifted off.


	4. The Box

Minho’s face was something else - Thomas almost laughed at the mixture of confusion, embarrassment and amusement as he looked down into the pit. Thomas blinked up at him and nudged Newt until he groaned beside him and shifted off Thomas’s chest. 

“So, Thomas, you ready? Or…?” Minho asked, looking pointedly between the two of them.

Their pants were both half open and there was probably dried cum on some of their clothes. 

Thomas sucked in a breath and said, “Uh, yeah, yeah sure, just maybe, give me five minutes?” and Newt just started chuckling beside him as he rearranged his clothing. 

“I don’t know about you, but breakfast would be great,” Newt said. He gave Thomas the once over and Thomas hurried to do up his own pants, sure that Minho was still watching them while he pulled up the door of the pit. “And a shower.” 

Minho held out a hand but then apparently changed his mind and stepped back as Thomas and Newt stood up. “I’ll, uh… get some supplies, meet you by the door,” Minho said. “After you get cleaned up,” he added, and with a smirk which Thomas actually appreciated since he didn’t want any bad feelings between them, Minho left them to it.

Thomas climbed out first before leaning back in and giving Newt his hand. Once they were up in the Glade again, in the bright sunshine, they stood looking at each other. 

“Well, we definitely got caught that time,” Newt said.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Thomas said, still not sure how Newt would feel about even just one of the other boys finding out. 

“Nah, don’t apologise, Tommy. I’m not embarrassed about it.”

Thomas smiled and shook his head a little. “Me neither.” He looked around, seeing the morning stirrings of the others in the Glade. “So, where do we get cleaned up around here?” he asked. He really needed to get clean. 

“Come on,” Newt said with a nod towards the woods. “I’ll show you my favourite spot.” 

He took hold of Thomas’s hand and Newt’s was warm and dirty and calloused and felt perfect in Thomas’s hand. Newt led him across the Glade to the woods where they’d spent that first night, and after a little walking they came across a stream and a small lake. Newt turned to face Thomas and began to strip, slowly, dropping all of his clothes in a messy pile beside him as Thomas looked on, just taking in the jut of Newt’s hipbones, the gentle curve of his dick and the compact muscles which Newt hid so well under his clothes. 

Newt finally raised his eyebrows at Thomas and said, “Are you getting in, or what?” before stepping into the water.

Thomas pulled his shirt off and dragged the rest of his clothes off within a couple of seconds, splashing in after Newt and gasping as the cold water hit his skin. Newt just laughed at him and sat down in the water. It wasn’t deep but when they crouched and went out to the middle they were able to mostly submerge and Newt began to rub some of the dirt off his skin, bringing wet hands to his face and making a clean spot. Thomas did the same, feeling so much better as he washed off some of the grime from the past few days. 

Newt began to run his hands over Thomas’s shoulders and Thomas wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing him gently as they embraced. He could close his eyes and almost believe that they weren’t imprisoned in some elaborately fictional world where he was about to rush off into a maze again on the hunt for mechanical creatures from his nightmares. He sank into the feel of Newt’s warm body next to his, felt the brush of his dick as they edged closer in the water, and kissed him harder, whispering promises that tonight he’d be back, they’d be together again, and that they could do whatever the hell Newt wanted. 

He left Newt gasping and he felt on edge himself but he couldn’t leave Minho for much longer, and they still had to get breakfast.

He ate like it was his last meal, having had only a small ration the night before and used up most of his energy in the pit with Newt, and then again with their impromptu make out session in the pond. He was actually surprised they hadn’t been disturbed there, but maybe any others would have retreated fairly quickly if they’d seen Newt and Thomas together.

He left Newt with a kiss and a hand running through his thick, still damp hair. Newt patted his ass as he stood up and Thomas smiled to himself as he broke into a jog and made his way to the door to find Minho.

***

It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, to have a conversation when they were running the maze, but somehow Minho found it easy to broach the subject of what he’d seen that morning in the pit, after they’d been running for maybe an hour. 

“I’m glad he’s got you,” Minho said. “He was getting more withdrawn lately, but with you - I think you’re good for him.”

Minho was barely out of breath but Thomas found it hard to keep his breathing steady as he replied. “I really care about him,” he said, as if he was expecting to have to justify himself, and the words were out there even though Minho didn’t seem bothered by what he and Newt were doing at all.

“Good, I’ll kick your ass if you hurt him,” Minho said, grinning at him with a sideways glance.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” Thomas said, all serious, desperately wishing he was back in Newt’s arms right now and hoping they were nearly there. 

“Just a little further, come on Thomas,” Minho called, as he raced ahead a little and Thomas had to dig deep to catch up to him.

***

Finding the griever hole seemed a lot easier than making their way out again once things went to shit. Thomas’s whoop of relief once they were back in the relative safety of the inner maze had them lying on their backs laughing ridiculously for probably far too long before they picked themselves up and jogged back to the Glade. 

The others were waiting, everyone crowding around the door, asking what the hell the sounds were coming from the maze, eager to hear what Thomas and Minho had found. Chuck rushed over as they moved as a group back towards the village and Thomas made sure he knew the bare minimum - there might be a way out. 

Gally took over then, hurling his negativity at Thomas, ignoring Minho. “You’ve been here three days - I’ve been here three years,” Gally said, getting up in Thomas’s face which really brought home to him again just how much taller Gally was. 

He didn’t back down. “Yeah, you’ve been here three years, maybe you should start doing things a little differently.” 

Thomas knew Newt was at his back, Minho too, but no one stepped in to their argument. Thomas wasn’t beyond realising that Gally had a right to feel the way he did - Thomas was changing everything the boys had known. But he couldn’t apologise for that. Not when he had the chance to get Chuck, Minho, Newt and everyone else out of here. 

But suddenly a noise cut through the shouting - a sound Thomas had heard before and from the looks on everyone else’s faces it was not necessarily a good sign. 

“What is it?” he asked, as the boys all turned in one direction.

“It’s the box,” Newt murmured. 

“Something’s wrong. It’s only been four days,” Gally said, and already he was running, everyone else following as they raced to see what the hell was going on.

Thomas followed close beside Newt, wishing he could talk to him but realising this was more important, and that probably no one had any answers right now.

Gally dragged open the gate over the box and Newt jumped in, Thomas’s heart racing as Newt disappeared for a moment. 

“What’s in there?” Thomas called down, and Newt peered back up at them all. 

“Just supplies,” he called. “Here, help me out with this stuff.”

Thomas looked around and through the general confusion on everyone’s faces some level of hope seemed to be surfacing. Minho jumped into the box with Newt and Thomas was quick to follow. 

“We’ve been screwing with their maze so they send up more stuff?” Thomas said quietly.

“Don’t knock it,” Newt said, and handed Thomas a heavy crate. 

He turned and hefted it over the side and turned around for another. 

“Hey what’s this?” Minho asked, opening a small box with a red cross and pulling out a syringe of some sort.

Newt looked over his shoulder and read aloud the letters on it -  _ WCKD _ and nothing else, no instructions, nothing else with it, just two syringes. 

“Let’s get everything out of here, then we can think about what it’s for,” Newt said, and they hurried to clear everything out, passing it up to the other boys.

Thomas felt useful, part of the team, even Gally took a crate from him with a nod of thanks. When there was work to do the Gladers came together.

***

Later, standing around Alby’s bedside, watching as his skin changed just like Ben’s had, as his breathing became almost unbearably tight in his chest, the discussion was over. 

“I’m doing it. What’s worse than this?” Thomas said, and he held the syringe over Alby’s chest. There was a range of shouts from around him and as he hesitated over where to jab him, Alby’s hand suddenly tore free of its binding and grabbed Thomas’s shirt, pulling him down to his face as he flailed and cursed. 

Hands grabbed Thomas, tried to separate the boys and suddenly Newt had the syringe and plunged it into Alby’s chest.

Thomas fell back, Newt backing off as Alby collapsed back on the pillow, looking finally peaceful, like he hadn’t in days.

“Did it work?” Chuck asked, and Thomas kind of wished he hadn’t seen all that. He shook his head, shrugging helplessly. 

“I guess we’ll know soon enough,” Newt said. “Someone stay with him, let me know if anything changes.” And he helped Thomas to his feet and motioned to the outside with a jerk of his head. 

Thomas trailed after him and finally they stopped by the fallen tree they’d sat by together, less than a week ago in such simpler times. 

Thomas pulled up his knees, put his head in his hands and Newt’s arm rested on his shoulders as he sat close. “What the hell’s happening?” He could hear the choked emotion in his voice as he looked up at Newt. “What is this place?”

Newt was looking back at him sadly. “I dunno, Tommy. But I think it’s going to be ok.”

Thomas wiped at his eyes and tried a smile. “Have you always been like this, so calm and… together?” he asked.

Newt’s face fell, just ever so slightly but Thomas saw the flash of something in his eyes. “No. Not at all. But you know who brought me round? Alby. So if we’ve just saved him with that stuff, well then I’ve got two good reasons to carry on being this way, haven’t I?”

He pulled Thomas in closer, just embracing him, heads together. After a while Thomas kissed the side of his head. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah.”


End file.
